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  "path": "/news/yorkshire-news-teacher-sickie-stag-do-portugal",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-05T21:18:33.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.gbnews.com",
  "tags": [
    "More than 19,000 raging students sign petition claiming A-level maths exam was 'too hard'",
    "Almost half of British students back return of death penalty, bombshell survey finds",
    "Disabled students 'picked on by council' over changes to transport policy",
    "The GB News Editorial Charter"
  ],
  "textContent": "\n\n\nA teacher \"pulled sickie\" to go on a stag do in Portugal and ripped out passport pages to cover up the ruse.\n\nJoe Wilson was a Year 6 teacher at Listerdale Junior Academy in Rotherham, South Yorkshire.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nA tribunal has determined he deceived his employer by feigning illness to jet off to Portugal.\n\nThe panel found Mr Wilson took unauthorised leave on Thursday, May 18, and Friday, May 19, 2023.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nTRENDING\n\nStories\n\nVideos\n\nYour Say\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nHe claimed he was unwell while actually travelling abroad.\n\nHis deception unravelled when an anonymous colleague alerted the school to photographs showing the teacher at an airport clutching a pint of beer, taken on the morning he had reported being too ill to work.\n\nOn the morning of May 18, 2023, at approximately 5am, Mr Wilson messaged the school: \"I'm not going to be in school today. I've been up all night being sick and have got a really bad headache.\"\n\nHe maintained the pretence the following day, writing: \"I'm still no better so won't be in school today. Can't keep any food or water down. I'll keep you updated.\"\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nHowever, a photograph posted at 5.23am that same morning by another individual bore the caption: \"Early start for stag do, few beers with the Portugal gaffer.\"\n\nThe image showed Mr Wilson in the airport, beer in hand, directly contradicting his claims of illness.\n\nWhen initially confronted, Mr Wilson insisted the photographs had been taken during a previous trip abroad.\n\nHe subsequently acknowledged the truth to the Teaching Regulation Agency, admitting he \"agreed to attend a stag do in Lisbon\" and describing his actions as \"a huge error of judgement\".\n\n### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS\n\n\n\n\n  * More than 19,000 raging students sign petition claiming A-level maths exam was 'too hard'\n  * Almost half of British students back return of death penalty, bombshell survey finds\n  * Disabled students 'picked on by council' over changes to transport policy\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nIn October 2025, he told the TRA he \"accepted full responsibility\" for his conduct, including \"falsifying a sickness\".\n\nMr Wilson also tore pages from his passport to eliminate evidence of his travels, removing pages 9, 10, 27 and 28, which would have contained stamps confirming his whereabouts.\n\nHe explained this decision came after an informal conversation with his headteacher and said he was \"ashamed\" of what he had done.\n\nThe tribunal concluded Mr Wilson's behaviour fell short of the ethical standards expected of teachers and ran contrary to the profession's claim to serve the public.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe panel determined his conduct lacked integrity, was dishonest, and risked bringing teaching into disrepute.\n\nThe judgment said: \"In falsely reporting his sickness absence and providing an altered document during an investigation, Mr Wilson was intentionally misleading the school and concealing the truth.\"\n\nDespite these findings, the panel ruled that imposing a prohibition order banning Mr Wilson from the classroom would be disproportionate.\n\nInstead, it decided that publishing the tribunal's findings constituted sufficient sanction.\n\nHe left Listerdale Junior Academy in 2023, and it is unknown if he has returned to teaching.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n**Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**",
  "title": "Year 6 teacher 'pulled sickie' to go on stag do in Portugal and ripped out passport pages to cover up ruse"
}